Please identify the option you are addressing in the heading of your post. Indicate which question you are addressing using the number of the question below. There are a number of questions accompanying this case study so please do not duplicate material already discussed by your classmates. Instead choose another question so that all the questions will be discussed. You need only select one question for this option.
This is a case study that should serve as a bit of a brain teaser for everyone. Based on your personal code of conduct, answer one of the associated questions. For your reply, use the tools for ethical decision making to either support the original posting or to show your classmate a more supportive decision.
Mr. Tate, a 59-year-old patient with end-stage renal disease is well known to the nursing staff of the dialysis clinic. Mr. Tate is hypertensive and overweight with a history of alcoholism. He often does not take his medications as ordered and almost never adheres to his prescribed diet. When Mr. Tate comes to the clinic he often has excessive edema and is hypertensive. He admits to eating his favorite foods: hot dogs and potato chips. It is also not unusual for the staff to smell alcohol on Mr. Tate's breath. He even admits to drinking an occasional beer with his hot dogs and chips. Although Mr. Tate listens politely to their concerns about his lack of adherence to diet and medications, he continues to be nonadherent. Many of the nurses begin to wonder and discuss to what extent they are obligated as nurses to spend time on patient teaching when the patient takes no responsibility for his own health. They also question whether or not the benefit of expensive medications and treatments for Mr. Tate outweigh the cost.
1. What are Jane's professional responsibilities to Mr. Tate?
2. Is there a limit to the amount of health care Mr. Tate should receive?
a. If so, upon what should this be based?
b. If not, why not?
3. Is there a limit to the amount of public funding that Mr. Tate should receive in order to support his care?
a. If so, upon what should this be based?
b. If not, why not?
4. What are society's health care obligations to Mr. Tate?
5. With whom could Jane Martin discuss her ethical concerns regarding Mr. Tate?
6. What are Jane Martin’s responsibilities in regard to respecting Mr. Tate's autonomy and right to self-determination?
7. Would it be good nursing practice to simply stop trying to get Mr. Tate to comply with his treatment plan?
8. Would any of this matter is Mr. Tate paid cash out of his own pocket for all of his treatments?
9. How much of this scenario can be attributed to culture or a possible cultural dissconnect between Mr. Tate and the staff?